News Thread [Kylaris|Canon|IC]

by **Nuxica** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 9:43 am

FM Mariano: Marchenia condemns Chistovodian militarization of the Arucian Sea, hostile diplomatic language "in the strongest possible terms," will be seeking NVO response; supports "good faith" negotiations over the status of Dunhelm Island; pledges aid and support to Arucian governments

Foreign Minister Antonio Mariano called the Chistovodian military deployments "unnecessary, highly provocative, and likely illegal."

by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 12:00 pm

Home · Caldia · World · Politics · Business · Spálgleann City · Culture · Education · Sports · Opinion · Editorial · Archives

Ó FAOLÁIN URGES ARUCIAN DE-MILITARIZATION WHILE PLACING BLAME ON MORWALL

Foreign Minister Ó Faoláin criticized Morwall for setting a dangerous precedent.

By NIALL SGOT

7 February 2021 at 11:27 a.m. EST

As tensions flare in the West Arucian Sea, Foreign Minister Séamus Ó Faoláin has urged regional governments to open diplomatic channels and work towards demilitarization. In recent weeks, ties between governments in Middle Asteria have worsened over the presence of the Chistovodian navy in the island nation of Maracao. Originally sent under the guise if humanitarianism, Chistovodian ships have remained and have ignited a diplomatic crisis in the region. However, has he urged Asterian nations to de-escalate tensions the Foreign Minister also placed some blame on the Estmerish government.

The crisis has pitted Chistovodia against regional governments aligned with Halland and Satucin. Members of the North Vehemens Organization, a military alliance centered in Asterai Superior, have been vocal in their push for a Chistovodian pullout while Satucin and its allies in Asteria Inferior are citing potential violations of international maritime law.

The Satucine government has raised concerns over violation of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, citing an abuse of innocent passage among other alleged violations. Ó Faoláin expressed concern over the potential violation, calling abuses of international diplomatic norms a "growing threat".

He called for a general de-militarization of the West Arucian Sea and the Arucian Straits, urging regional governments to scale back their military presence in the region.

Chistovodia, which has received support from socialist governments in Euclea and Coius, has demanded the NVO shut down its own naval bases in the region before the country shutters its own.

"The increasingly hyper-militarization of the Arucian poses a serious thread to stability in the Asterias. Regional governments must work together to ensure that this is scaled back and the potential for armed conflict is significantly reduced".

Ó Faoláin reiterated past concerns over a growing trend to violate international maritime law. This is not the first incident involving Chistovdia, which was accused of violating international law by Satucin over the seizure of a freighter in 2019. Other incidents that have drawn the ire of the Caldish government include an Estmerish violation of Zorasani territorial waters in July 2019. The issue went to the Community of Nations, where an attempt by Zorasan and its allies to condemn Estmere failed.

Recalling the incident, the Foreign Minister placed blamed squarely at the feet of Estmere's conservative premier, Reginald Wilton-Smyth. He repeated past criticism of the affair, but accused Morwall of setting a dangerous precedent for bad actors to "shred international law" without repudiation.

"It was simply irresponsible behavior that threatens the international conventions that have kept the peace since the close of the Solarian War. Here in Spálgleann we expect better. Instead, what we not have is a deeply worrying precedent that will allow bad actors to shred international law without consequence. We cannot condemn their actions while vindicating Morwall. That is the liberal hypocrisy we hear so much about" Ó Faoláin said.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach's Office declined to comment on the situation, but reiterated the government's support for Ó Faoláin. "He speaks for this government" the spokesperson said.

His comments have been met with some hostility in Estmere, where allies of Wilton-Smyth have been critical. The Estmerish government has not yet commented on the Foreign Minister's remarks.

For his part, Ó Faoláin has offered Asterian governments the serves of the Caldish Foreign Ministry in bringing about a resolution to tensions in the Arucian.

"The Conflict Resolution Office is always ready and willing to help mediate situations like this" he said.

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by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 1:25 pm

PASQUARELLO TABLES BILL TO ESTABLISH PERMANENT STANDING MILITARY
Movement for New Imagua leader critcises "generations of apathy" that led to Chistovodia's growing presence

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SERVIDIO MASUCCI (@Servima)
7 February, 2021 14:25 IST | CUANSTAD, CITY OF

File photo of two Ciancola-class patrol boats in Nua Taois

Today, Dalmazio Pasquarello, leader of the Movement for a New Imagua tabled a bill to the Chamber of Commons to establish a permanent standing military. This bill would separate the Gendarmerie and the Imaguan Coast Guard away from the Imaguan Constabulary, and make them a nucleus for "the Imaguan army" and "the Imaguan navy" respectively, and will formally establish an Imaguan Army by 1 April, 2023.

Pasquarello stated when introducing the bill that "for generations, Imaguans have been hesitant to fund a permanent standing military, and were instead content to let other nations do so for us. We endured generations of apathy, even when Maracao invaded Dunhelm Island and severed it from the Imaguan motherland."

"Now, we in the Arucian are paying the ultimate price for our apathy, for us standing by while our own citizens get oppressed and repressed by Maracao, by Chistovodia, by the other socialist states," Pasquarello said. "It is far past time for Imagua to establish a permanent standing military, but it is better late than never!"

All members of the Sotirian Democratic Labour Party, the Movement for a New Imagua, as well as five backbenchers from the Democratic Labour Party voted in favour of the motion presented by Pasquarello, while the rest of the Democratic Labour Party and the Green Party voted against the bill. Thus, when the results were revealed, 46 MPs voted in favour of the bill, compared to 23 against, with only the Speaker abstaining.

Reaction from the government
Prime Minister Douglas Egnell criticised the bill, saying that "this bill proposed by my colleague from Ineweyu-Guardia is a terrible idea: both because the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard do the job well in deterring foreign threats from invading Imagua, and because in the aftermath of the Pico de Sangue eruption, Imagua can barely afford the costs of separating the Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard from the Imaguan Constabulary, let alone the costs of funding a fully-fledged military."

"It is also antithetical to our Imaguan way of life," Douglas Egnell said, "as without having a permanent standing army, we have managed to avoid the ills that Aucuria, Belmonte, and Marchenia, just to name a few, have faced over the years: to establish an Imaguan military means that we risk going down the same path that these states, among many others, have done, and that is simply not what we Imaguans should do."

When asked about the five Democratic Labour MPs who voted in favour of the bill, Egnell said that "this is unacceptable, and I, among many of the DLP leadership, will discuss this to ensure that this does not happen again."

The Imaguan Constabulary was also asked regarding their stance on the bill, but declined to comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Nuvania, Satavia support Douglas Egnell's offer to negotiate Dunhelm's status [ 19237 ]
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by **Norcandy** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:42 pm

LIVE: Satavian Senate Elections 2021
AS NIGHT DRAWS TO CLOSE, CONSERVATIVE-COUNTRY SEIZES VICTORY

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:08:43 -
NATIONAL RESULTS
Tory-Country: 61
Labor: 33
Liberal: 5
Green: 0
New National: 1

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:08:41 - There it is! Conservative-Country declare landslide victory!

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:08:39 -
Central Territory
Tory-Country: 2
Labor: Not enough votes
Liberal: Not enough votes
Green: Not enough votes
New National: Not enough votes

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:06:33 - With a landslide like that, the Conservative-Country coalition have this election regardless of the Central Territory vote!

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:06:32 -
Ballyleigh
Tory-Country (84.63%): 22
Labor (15.13%): 4
Liberal (0.18%): Not enough votes
Green (0.04%): Not enough votes
New National (0.02%): Not enough votes

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:04:59 - Ballyleigh should be next, followed by the Central Territory. A Conservative-Country victory there is inevitable.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:03:11 -
Orange Province
Tory-Country (55.80%): 5
Labor (19.87%): 1
Green (9.24%): None
Liberal (8.03%): None
New National (7.06%): None

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:21:59 - That puts the Conservative-Country still ahead, but only by four seats now. They know that Ballyleigh will be a stronghold for the Coalition.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:21:51 -
Northern Hope
Labor (43.88%): 8
Tory-Country (39.06%): 7
Liberal (9.83%): 2
New National (4.99%): 1
Green (2.24%): None

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:21:28 - The Northern Hope should be declaring officially any minute now. It is believed that Labor have the lead, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. The Northern Hope is different in that it's a 2% threshold for parties, so less seats can be won by the major parties.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:20:37 - We've just heard from Gerald Dewy, the leader of the Labor Party, who said that whilst this was a setback, it was still a good start. They're only five seats short of the Conservative-Country but are expecting a good result later on.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:20:08 - That's a bad start for Liberal and New National, and not an amazing start for Conservative-Country but better than what was expected, especially in the left-leaning Hope Province.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:20:05 -
Hope Province
Conservative-Country (48.70%): 25
Labor (38.75%): 20
Liberal (6.33%): 3
New National (3.22%): Not enough votes
Green (3.00%): Not enough votes

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:20:01 - We've just received confirmation from the Hope Province for the results in the Province, with Conservative-Country taking the largest slice of the pie. We'll have more detailed numbers in a minute.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:18:52 - Voting is done by the d'Hondt method, with a minimum threshold of 5%. The only parties currently standing in the Hope Province are the Conservative-Country Coalition, Labor, Liberal, New National and the Greens. Labor are currently the favourite for the Hope Province.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:18:32 - Polling stations will be closing in half an hour. Difference in voting mechanisms mean that the Hope Province should be the first to announce their results - they vote electronically. That means, that within an hour, we'll already have 48 out of 100 seats.

Johnathon Dimbles wrote:17:44 - Hello and welcome to SBC Three's live coverage of the 2021 Senate Elections, that will elect 100 county senators, and decide who our next president will be. I'm Jonathon Dimbles, your host for the night.

by **Liecthenbourg** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 4:14 pm

CHISTOVODIA CHALLENGES "ILLEGALITY" OF ACTIONS.
General Congress, Foreign Ministry, prepares to dismiss allegations of breaches of international law.

Ihor Loboda (@LobodaIhor)
07 February 2021 | Misto Myru, Chistovodia

A triumphant Didyk returns to Misto Myru, having certified commitments to Maracao in an Arucian of increasing hostility and uncertainty.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Swift.

MISTO MYRU, CHISTOVODIA -

Satucin's Foreign Minister alleged, after summoning the Chistovodian Ambassador, that Chistovodia's military deployments in the Arucian sea stemming from September of 2020 breached 2a, 2c, 2d, and 2l of Article 19 of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention, codified within the Community of Nations, has been drawn into numerous international spats since Estmere's breaching of Zorasani waters brought about an assortment of legalistic challenges over the spirit and letter of the law.

Astor Sourd, Satucin's Foreign Minister, said he believes that Chistovodia had broken 2a, 2c, 2d and 2l of the Article which the Chistovodian Foreign Ministry vehemently denies. The allegations were referenced by Foreign Minister Didyk, who remarked to Maracan reporters as he left the island: "There are those who seek to challenge this in all forms: be it materially, militaristically, morally or even legalistically. They will fail."

Didyk was also questioned about the possibility of an increasing hostile Asterias as now "Satavia was entertaining sending a destroyer." Didyk is reported to have replied with "We hope that the nations in the Arucian would not resort to naval deployments against forces at their respective naval bases. Understandably, however, they may wish to draw their ire to the NVO's unquestioned presence in the region. Not that they would realistically care: the Island of the Revolution has been part of Maracao for 65 years, and has been visited by Chistovodian forces since then, but now when Maracao is beset by an environmental disaster they care?"

Whilst several legal experts are already questioning the success of the Satucinais government's arguments in favour of their position for 2a, 2c and 2d -- 2l is being poised as the "interesting vague legality in this situation".

In an immediate response published by the Chistovodian Foreign Ministry in the wake of Sourd's allegations; it stressed that "any attempt to amend the terms of the Convention of the Law of the Sea is an attempt by Satucin to solidify its control over whom and what passes the straits of Parane."

It added, further, that "there was ample information passed on to Satucine authorities over the nature of the movements of vessels in the area. And all conduct that Chistovodia is being accused of, in breaches of Satucin's territorial waters and the 'Innocent Passage' procedure took place outside of Satucin's territorial waters."

A spokesperson for the ministry added that "it is the position of the Chistovodian Workers' State that no international commitments, laws and treaties have been breached and it is in our interests that these allegations and swiftly and promptly dealt with. We add that it is not possible to codify into an international law the idea of intention outside of territorial waters, as anything the country in control of the passage may deem it does not like, or speculative thoughts about the conduct of the passage, will shut off the entirety of global shipping to the interests of Gatôn."

President Martynenko confirmed he "supported Caldish involvement to clarify the situation at large," but added "Caldish involvement in any situation pertaining to "Ilha da Revolução will need Maracao's consent."

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by **Imperii Ecclesia** » Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:03 pm

GOVERNMENT VERGES ON COLLAPSE AS INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS GROW
President and Prime Minister clash over Chistodovia and increased anti-government Protests.

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CATHERINE DECOUVE (@DECOUVECATHERINE )
^{7 FEBUARY 2021 18:22 | PORT DE LA SAINTE, SAINTE-CHLOE}

Prime Minister Montas (Left) and President Thiele (Right) have been known to frequently clash while both have been in Office.
Photo courtesy of RAYMOND AROIS.

PORT DE LA SAINTE, CAPITALE-

With the crisis over Chistodovia's military presence in the Arucian escalating and internal political getting worse, the government of Sainte-Chloé itself is beginning to weaken under the increasing burden of internal conflict and warring between the President and the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister and his party.

Chistodovia moved in military vessels into Maracao after the Eruption of Pico de Sangue in the previous year, ostensibly as "humanitarian aide", but also greatly increasing their military presence in the region, especially on the occupied Imaguan island of Dunhelm island, which has been illegally occupied by Maracao for over sixty years. Several foreign governments have decried the presence of the Chistodovians, from Imagua, Satavia, Nuvania, and Marchenia, and called for demilitarization. Historically, Maracao and its supporter, Chistodovia, have been considered enemies of Sainte-Chloé and of the free Asterian world, but in recent years the governments under the Social Democrat Party have also contributed to try and "encourage dialogue" and "facilitate cooperation".

Prime Minister Montas attempted to keep this policy strong in a speech before the Chamber of Commons this morning, saying that "We must not let the recent fear-mongering by other countries blow a situation out of proportion. We know that the Chistodovian vessels are there only to bring humanitarian aide to their ally, who suffered greatly at the epicenter of the terrible eruption last fall. Sainte-Chloé will always stand for peace and for cooperation above all, and it is not prudent for NVO to begin an escalation on their part. I know that a peaceful solution can be reached if we approach this in a proper manner and do not raise tensions unnecessarily."

His remarks proved quite unpopular, especially from the opposition Catholic Labour Party, which includes President Thiele. A poll conducted by the Demographic Research Institute came with the results that 66% of the population were against Chistodovia's increased military presence in the Arucian Sea. The leader of the opposition, MP Genevieve Chevallier, claimed that "This response from our Prime Minister is unacceptable. Chistodovia clearly is working to undermine our position in the Arucian and to assert its dominance during this vulnerable time. We should stand with the free nations of the Asterias against these hostile threats to our democracy." Even President Thiele came out publicly with an official statment in the afternoon, saying among other things that "Sainte-Chloé will never betray its allies in the Arucian or in the Asterias. Chistodovia must stand down immediately and Maracao must end its illegal occupation of Dunhelm island. Sainte-Chloé will support any response to resist against hostile aggression and defiance of international law from Chistodovia."

The political situation in Sainte-Chloé has been tense since early 2020, when a slight majority of the elected Social Democrat Party was elected the Chamber of Commons and resulted in the naming of Montas as Prime Minister, creating a period of cohabitation between a Catholic Labour President and a Social Democrat Prime Minister. This political conflict was also later overshadowed by the eruption later in the year, with many of the populace expressing dislike over the response of Montas's government, which began a series of protests against the government. Since the death of Francois Leran at the hands of police last Tuesday, the protests across the country have grown larger in scale, and Prime Minister Montas has been asked to resign his position in the wake of his comments about the death of Leran. The President has voiced his support for goal of the protesters, while the Prime Minister has been firmly against them for months, which have already proven a conflict between the two. In addition, his recent responses have seen more public outrage, with signs saying things like "Peace in the Arucian" and "No Chistodovian Tyranny" being seen at the anti-government rallies later in the day.

But it is not just tension in the streets that is the problem. Members of the Social Democrat Party have expressed displeasure over Montas's leadership of the party and his failure to respond adequately to problems from his cabinet and other members of his party. Especially critical are the MPs from the rural regions of the country, whose constituencies are the most up in arms against the government at the moment. These electorates proved vital in securing the government for the Social Democrats in the previous election. An anonymous source from within the government claimed to La Croix that shouting was heard from the cabinet room late into the evening, and that there is infighting going on within the Social Democrats. "Party tensions are at the breaking point," the source said. "Some think that either some may defect from the government or that they may call for Montas's removal as Prime Minister." The source also said the President told the Prime Minister that if he could not get his party together and organize a proper response to the state of emergency going on, that he would have no choice but to dissolve parliament call a snap election.

"Prime Minister Montas has put himself a difficult position," said opposition leader Chevallier in a statement given later in the afternoon. "It may very well be that his day of reckoning has come."

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Didyk attempts to Dismiss Criticisms.
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Debates in Imagua over Dunhelm Island and a Standing Military continue.
Belmonte's Fonesca waffles over Arucian Crisis.
OPINION: What would Chistodovian dominance mean for Sainte-Chloe?

by **Caltarania** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:20 am

by **Hullivia** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:24 am

ARUCIAN Staatshauptmann Joseph Tiape speaks up, says "ganghandling" of socialist states must cease

Governments such as Aucuria, Marchenia or Satavia have protested what they consider a Chistovodian provocation
Satucin minister Sourd claims Mysto Myru has broken international maritime laws
Maracao's Costa rejects negociation talks with Imagua over disputed Revolution/Dunhelm Island.
Junior Staatshauptfrau Annegret Neuwirth (SAP) : "The ball is not in Maracao's court"

BY MARTIN SCHÄUBLE
PUBLISHED: 8 February 2021

SH Joseph Tiape has agreed that peace should be made,
but called liberal powers to treat Chistovodia and Maracao "as equals".

DIE FRIEDE, HD - In light of concerning developments in the Arucian Sea over the past week, the Hullivian duumvirate has emerged out of its silence. Senior Staatshauptmann Joseph Tiape, appearing at a press conference this morning in the Horvath District, has issued statements regarding the situation.

"The Hullivian government's stance, over the years, has always called for peace and mutual respect between nations. It reiterates this call today, in light of the tensions occuring in the Arucian Sea." said Tiape, before immediately questioning the "disconcerting attitude" of several governments towards both Chistovodia and Maracao.

"What has been heard from the mouths of some of my counterparts is nothing short of an attempt to bully socialist states out of their playground. Humanitarian missions from Chistovodia have caused no prejudice to any nation's territorial integrity, which is why I am personally concerned by the Satucin foreign ministry's complaints. The gang-handling of socialist states must cease in the Arucian if Satucin and its allies truly seek a peaceful solution."

Additionally, on the subject of the Revolution/Dunhelm Island dispute, Tiape called for Chistovodia and Maracao to be treated "as equals". "Since a few days, it seems as if liberal governments in the Arucian region are adressing a high number of demands to the Maracan and Chistovodian governments, with few intentions to concede anything. This disconcerting attitude is not productive in order to attain true peace, and I therefore fully understand Mr. Costa's decision to not partake in negociation talks over the issue at the moment."

After Tiape ended his press conference, Junior Staatshauptfrau Annegret Neuwirth took to Twitter to further clarify Hullivia's stance on the dispute. Neuwirth typed, in a thread, that "Hullivia supports bi-lateral efforts to sort out the status of Revolution, or Dunhelm, Island. However, it is the responsibility of Imagua and of their allies to make sure it does not affect Maracao's integrity" and that "we are not sure those proposed peace talks were in good faith". She called liberal governments in the area to "make a genuine gesture", stating that "the ball is not in Maracao's court".

The Foreign Ministry already called yesterday, in a briefer statement, for a "scaledown of tensions in the Arucian Sea".

by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 1:59 pm

Mac SUIBHNE DECLINES TO ADDRESS Mac PIARAIS AS OPPOSITION LEADER
The opposition leader's remarks about the King have angered the Taoiseach, who won't address Mac Piarais in the Comhthionól

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James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{8 February 2021 | Spálgleann, Caldia}

Pádraig Mac Piarais will no longer be acknowledged by the Taoiseach while on the Comhthionól floor.

SPÁLGLEANN – Taoiseach Stiofán Mac Suibhne has indicated he will no longer address Pádraig Mac Piarais as Leader of the Opposition while on the floor of the Comhthionól Náisiúnta. The Taoiseach has cited the Liberty Party leader's recent comments about King Kenneth IV, which first leaked to the press last month. Mr. Mac Suibhne and Mr. Mac Piarais have been sparring over the issue of constitutional reform. The opposition leader made disparaging remarks about the King in private to senior officials in his party, who leaked them to the press.

Mr. Mac Suibhne announced his decision in a series of tweets that were later published by the Taoiseach's Office as a written statement. He described Mr. Mac Piarais' conduct as "vile" and "disgusting" and said that the use of "derogatory terms to describe the monarch and national figurehead amount to an assault on the nation".

The decision was made by the Taoiseach over the weekend after a senior member of Liberty's leadership publicly confirmed the reporting surrounding the opposition leader's comments.

Instead of addressing Mr. Piarais while the Taoiseach is on the floor of the Comhthionól, he will field questions from the smaller parties and regard the leader of the National Party, Liam Ó Cuillinn, as leader of the opposition. Many members of the cabinet have indicated they will follow Mr. Mac Suibhne and decline to field questions directly from Mr. Mac Piarais.

The decision has already created a row of parliamentary procedure and etiquette. Per the conventions of the Comhthionól, the official opposition has considerable advantages over the non-governing parties. A spokesperson for the Taoiseach's Office indicated that Mr. Mac Suibhne will still field and answer questions from Liberty's frontbench and TCs. However, Mr. Mac Piarais will not longer be regarded as opposition leader, it was specified.

Mr. Mac Piarais and his allies have decried the move, accusing the Taoiseach of hiding from addressing their concerns over constitutional reform.

"[The Taoiseach] wants to silence the opposition so he can ram through constitutional reform without debate. He is pulling the wool over the eyes of the Caldish people" the opposition leader said.

The decision has ignited much debated and is likely to end up before the Comhthionól's rules committee. Until a decision is made by the body, it will be up to the discretion of Ceann Comhairle Proinnsias Ó Loingsigh. As the Comhthionól's presiding officer, Mr. Ó Loingsigh has the authority to persuade the Taoiseach and members of the government to answer questions form the official opposition and other smaller parties. However, the Ceann Comhairle is a member of the Taoiseach's own Social Democracy Party and has been a major force in the party's parliamentary caucus. It is unlikely he will move to force any member of the government to address Mr. Mac Piarais by threatening to hold them in contempt.

It is also expected to further weaken Mr. Mac Piarais' position within his caucus in the Comhthionól, He leads a group of mostly moderate TCs, left over from the Walker-O'Reilly era of Liberty politics.

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by **Eskaeba** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 6:46 am

Belovol makes diplomatic visit to Vinalinsk as Samistopol looks to consolidate its response to the Arucian situation
The ruling Patriots' Front has long been skeptical of the idea of goodwill from Misto Myru.
February 9, 2021 - Vinalinsk, Vinalia

Soravian foreign minister Illarion Belovol (L) with Vinalian
foreign minister Victor Kulish (R).

As tensions continue to boil over in the Arucian as a result of Chistovodia increasing military deployments to Maracao in wake of the recent Pico de Sangue eruption, foreign minister Illarion Belovol has undertaken an official diplomatic visit to Vinalia to gauge both its and his own government's response to the diplomatic crisis unraveling in the region.

It is the first diplomatic visit made to Vinalia since Goga travelled to Vinalinsk to witness the historic opening of the new capital.

Belovol met with Unionist Party politician Victor Kulish, currently serving in the Unionist—Workers—Conservative coalition that rule over the Asterian country. The coalition's leader, Minister-President Omelyan Pavlov, has seen criticism domestically for his government's desire to extend bilateral relations with Samistopol.

Soravia continues to elevate its presence in the Asterias, though through the sparsely populated George Ruset Land, home to only 800,000 people.

But as the Haillet's Crisis showed back in the 1990s, Samistopol is certainly not averse to flaunting its power for geopolitical gain across the Lumine Ocean.

It is unknown what exactly is being discussed with Kulish and the Vinalian government, or whether Samistopol and Vinalinsk will undergo a joint bilateral response to the crisis, which threatens to stifle Arucian trade and heighten tensions across the strait to their highest point in years. Sanctions are rumoured to be the brunt of the response from Soravia, it is reported, and government officials reported that a "plethora of options" are "being considered" by the government.

In Vinalia, the visit is being viewed much more critically.

To the Vinalian populace, the crisis has posed a much more daunting question—to choose Samistopol or Misto Myru. In the fragile landscape of post-union Vinalian politics, where the Chistovodian-backed north and Soravian-backed south reunified in 1993, it is very much being interpreted as a definitive swing to the former. As Didyk and Chistovodia lock horns with the rest of the Asterias in the Arucian, it may be letting a nation that it has enjoyed rather tame bilateral relations with slip through the back door.

Government spokespeople in Vinalia assured the country there is "no such swing to the left or right" and that Vinalia was "carefully considering" its options.

Vinalinsk has long used the leverage of positive bilateral relations to position itself as a middleman between the liberal democracies of the Asterias and the council socialists of Chistovodia and the AIS at-large, but in wake of posturing by the Pavlov government, Misto Myru may well consider that bridge to be burnt.

It remains to be seen what will emerge of the visit, whether Soravia opts for strong response to one of its main political rivals, or whether or not the Vinalian government will buckle as its long-standing policy of de facto neutrality comes into question.

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by **Bhikkustan** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:25 pm

Violence in Margachala following shooting of Vanavasi teen
Following video being shared of an alleged rape case, vigilante mobs entered Vanavasi-majority slum and killed the man

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Tarin Jainil (@JainilTarin )
^{9 FEBUARY 2021 11:28 | KULLAURA, ARTHAKHAND}

Rioters threw stones and burnt several shopfronts belonging to Vanavasi and Aditha families following disputes between Vanavasi and locals.
Photo courtesy of JAIDAYAL RAMA.

KULLAURA, MARGACHALA

Intercommunal violence has erupted again in the state of Margachala, central Arthakhand, following the circulation of a video which allegedly depicted a Samundrese woman being raped by a group of Vanavasi youths. While the video was unverified and contained no evidence of date, location or any proof of who the participants were, it spread rapidly as it was shared on messenger applications such as "Parlapp" and "Twitter", including by some figures associated with police and governmental agencies. Protests were quick to begin in Kullaura, the capital of Margachala state, as well as in several municipalities across the state, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. While police announced they were beginning an inquiry, after two days and no arrests the mob decided that swifter action was needed.

A crowd of several hundred rioters, spurred on by calls from the Ashramic-nationalist Adambha Party which has been implicated in earlier actions of Vanavasi-bashing, descended upon the slum of Dridhavan which is populated primarily by Vanavasi who have moved to the city in order to seek work. They began throwing stones into shopfronts and looting, with the police escort which had been put in place sitting idly by. In fact, the only action the police took was to arrest several Vanavasi who threw stones back at the crowd, the throwers being arrested on charges of inciting violence and assualt. As the crowd went deeper into the shantytown suburb, they began searching for people who vaguely resembled the youth in the video which had inspired the violence. A suitable youth was found, and as he was dragged screaming from his home several masked figures with megaphones shouted out warnings to the inhabitants of the slum, stating that any further incidences of rape would be punished harshly. As the police watched on apathetically, these masked figures pulled out a firearm and summarily executed the Vanavasi youth to shouts of "Arthakhand Zindabad" from the crowd. Following this, the police escorted the crowd back out of the slum, leaving the inhabitants to pick up the pieces. Of those arrested on the day, the Vanavasi were sentence while the small amount of rioters arrested were let off with a warning.

The violence received a widespread condemnation from liberal elements of society, with the Alternative for Democracy party, the main opposition voice in the country, declaring that "this day will live on as a day of shame for the Arthakhandi nation and shows the deep issues which lie beneath the surface of our great nation." The All-Satrian Aboriginal People's Rally, one of the major Vanavasi-rights groups in the country, called upon President Abhijit Kamalanayan to denounce the mob violence and arrest all those responsible. However, such action is unlikely, as while the President did speak against the violence, his statement was muted in its condemnation of those involved. Kamalanayan state that "the recent violence in Kullaura shows the need for action on rape in our country. While the violence is of course regrettable, it merely reveals the severity of the crisis women face in our nation and we must work to ensure that such crimes can go punished."

The issue faced by Kamalanayan and the Democratic People's Congress is that it derives a large portion of its support from the middle class voters who tend to hold negative opinions of the Vanavasi people. The Vanavasi, who are recognised as the original inhabitants of Satria, live traditionally rural and undeveloped lifestyles and have often been targetted by government initiatives aiming to modernise the nation's economy and increase prosperity for the urban majority. It was the DPC which signed into law many of the legal statutes which continue to negatively affect Vanavasi to this day.

Protests have been planned in many major cities to condemn the violence, with organisers aiming for the same level of participation which was seen in the 2011 Vanavasi language marches. More on this situation as it develops.

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by **Eskaeba** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:53 am

Wanser-Plas government under threat as the Kesselbourgish People's Party threaten coalition exit
Party leader Quint Walravens criticised the "infiltration of wokeism" that had "corrupted the government".
February 10, 2020 | Toon Coussemont reporting from Kesselbourg City, Kesselbourg

Wanser-Plas must decide on a plan of action quickly, or risk handing in his resignation to the Prince.

Capping off an eventful midweek in the capital, premier Wout Wanser-Plas is staring resignation in the face as KVP leader Quint Walravens fired scathing criticisms at the government's leader, indicating he may pull his party from the ruling coalition.

The current government, consisting of Wanser-Plas' own Ecologists (23 seats), Marvin Coppen's Free Liberal Party (14 seats), the KVP (5 seats) and Geneesmiddel (3 seats), as well as including controversial right-wing, anti-immigration, no-holds-barred Party for the People as supply and confidence.

Walravens' statements have placed Wanser-Plas between a rock and a hard place. His government, already domestically criticised for its swing to the right, may have to continue to cater to the rise of anti-immigration populism to stay in power, lest The Ecologists get relegated to the opposition for the first time in around 20 years.

Coppen criticised what he described as "brazen" statements by Walravens, branding him an "opportunist" with "no self-discipline or regard for the integrity of government". Wanser-Plas has yet to comment on the matter, but is said to be facing increasing internal scrutiny for his silence.

AWV, the leading centre-left opposition, may look to pounce on the resulting uncertainty to form their own coalition government, likely to include both the democratic-socialist Hoeltish Section as well as anti-corruption, e-democracy libertarian party De takomst, which share six seats apiece. To successfully form government, however, party leader Alicia van Pruisen will have to woo VLP leader Marvin Coppen, whose party will give them the necessary size to govern.

But a centre-left, pink tide-esque usurption is not the only option on the books for Wanser-Plas, swapping the much more moderately right-wing KVP's 5 seats with current supply and confidence party PvdA still gives his coalition a 44/87 seat majority in the States-General. A risk for Wanser-Plas, whose government is likely to fly even further right as the PvdA would become the first Euclosceptic party to enter government in Kesselbourg's long history. Political analysts have called it the culmination of growing populist, Euclosceptic attitudes in the Euclean capital, despite the government coalition still being overwhelmingly pro-Euclea.

Tough decisions for Wanser-Plas are to come, but it is the VLP and Marvin Coppen who will look to be kingmakers in the coming weeks.

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by **Empire of Falconia** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 6:21 am

Ravnian National News
Ravnian Presidential and Parliamentary elections soon to kick off

Novigrad - Today's the day, after a week of intensive campaigning by both President Abramov and his opponent Andiry Avramenko, both candidates now await the results of tonight's election. Estimates have, and continue, to put President Abramov ahead of Avramenko. This however has not discouraged Mr. Avramenko, who held one of his campaigns largest rallies outside the southern coastal city of Kozin. The polls are set to open at 9 a.m, less than an hour from now. Many cities across Ravnia have decided to deploy police to guard polling stations. This comes after new concerns over political violence surrounding the election, with some officials worried that polling stations may be attacked by both left and right wing extremists. The Parliamentary election, which will decide how much power the winning presidential candidate will have, will also be on the ballot tonight. So far, political analysts have been unable to make a definitive prediction on which party will win the most seats.

Tune in at 6:30 P.M tonight to hear the RNN's live coverage of the election.

by **Nuvania** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:12 pm

The Big Bang: Why A Volcanco Destroyed Nuvania's Construction Boom

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Willem Lion-Cachet (@WLionCachet)
13 February (12:00pm)|PIETERSBURG

Construction of a luxury development in Pietersburg during the boom.

No one has been on the Weatherfield Gardens development since October last year. The padlocks that keep the chain-link gates across the main entrance at the site close to central Windstrand have remained shut long enough rust bubbles have started to form, and the notice of closure has been faded to the point of near illegibility. The only thing that's even remotely visible is the corporate logo of VDC Incorporated, once the city's largest construction company.

Peter Wilkes looks through the gate at the bakkie parked inside. He remembers the day the site closure announcement came through.
"I remember arriving for work and then the foreman came over and order everyone off the site," he said. "I said 'I need to get my vehicle out' and he said 'sorry make, no one's allowed inside'. That's when I knew something bad had happened. That morning VDC had filed for Section 32 bankrupty restructuring." Wilkes sighs heavily, and mutters something in Asteriaans, before turning away.

Despite the loss of his vehicle and primary means of transport, Wilkes considers himself fortunate. As a site manager for the nation's largest cement manufacturer, Cemkor, his skills and experience, as well as position within the Windstrand branch of the company, allowed him to be retrained and retain employment, something which a lot of other workers didn't have.
"It was like a flood," he said. "They called in everyone to work. Out of 720 employees, 450 were sent home without a job to go back to." Most of the losses came from the largest cement factory in the country, Cemkor's Manaka Plant in the hinterlands south of Windstrand. Cemkor defended the layoffs by saying it was part of an already extant modernisation plan to automate its manufacturing facilities across Nuvania, and to retrain and retain staff whose skills and experience were valuable to the company. Wilkes, who now serves as one of the managers at the Manaka Plant, is far more sceptical.
"It's all about reducing costs," he said. "Everyone took a pay cut and those that couldn't take them were fired."

In the final quarter, of 2020, Cemkor shed 3,700 jobs across Nuvania and other countries, reflective of a construction sector in crisis. The collapse of VDC in Windstrand, Allison Civil and Cantrell-Wright in Pietersburg, and Sankor in Niekerk is a crisis that the sector, which constituted 7.5% of Nuvania's total GDP at the beginning of last year, appear to have come about overnight, but as this article will show, the destruction of Nuvania's major construction companies was inevitable, and required the right kind of economic conditions and instability to bring it down. Unsurprisingly, corruption and the greed of both corporate executives and local body politicians, and a sector with little regulation into the investment of capital into property have their respective part to play in the property bubble that began to inflate in the wake of the Great Recession.

Johnathan Keaton's free market reforms were instrumental in Nuvania's property market bubbles.

Johnathan Keaton, widely regarded as one of the most important Chief Ministers of Nuvania in the 20th century, had long wanted to deregulate Nuvania's property market prior to becoming the leader of the National People's Party in 1982, and Chief Minister that same year. Government regulation, according to him, had prevented ordinary Nuvanians from being the property owners they deserved to be. Nuvania's property market prior to 1984 was one of the more stricter in the world and heavily tied to the financial sector, it too heavily regulated. Banks adhered to credit-growth guidelines that actively restricted how much credit could be issued to private customers, and deposit requirements meant that 50% of a desposit was a standard requirement for purchasing existing housing stock or 30% for new-build residential property. Price caps had been mandated since the late 1960's, and quotas existed for affordable properties were enforced with substantial fines if these quotas were not met. The result were modest increases in home ownership throughout the 1970's and into the early 1980's, while those living in slums, or "informal settlements" grew at double digit rates consistently throughout the 1970's, a period of strong economic growth in Nuvania. The government of William Bosman believed this to be due to a lack of social housing, and engaged in a program to build 50,000 new government-subsidised houses between 1973 and 1976, a policy which became a massive white elephant and the albatross around the neck of the government as it began to sink in the polls, having delivered only 15,000 social houses across Nuvania, and amounted nearly G17 million ($14 million in 1977) in legal fees after costly litigation between the government and the private contractors contracted to build them.

Seeing the failure of the Bosman government's social housing policy, Keaton was more convinced than ever that his policies of deregulation would result in a wider uptake in home ownership and alleviate the increasing rate in which people were living in slums around Nuvania's major cities. His program of "free the markets, free the people" saw neoliberal market deregulation applied to a property market in a way that had not been seen before or since in the Asterias, at least not to the same extent. Virtually all regulations on deposit requirements and who could get a deposit disappeared, as did restrictions on credit and credit histories. While banks still had discretion over who could apply for a loan or a mortgage, the Keaton government also introduced incentives for banks to sign on new clients in order to increase home ownership rates. This meant banks were encouraged to issue as many home loans as possible, even to those who could not repay them. Restrictions on capital investment in property disappeared altogether, allowing for investors to freely move billions into the market over time.

The effect on the property market was the first housing boom, which began after the double dip recession Nuvania experienced that saw growth crash through -1.09% in 1985, largely due to the switfness in which the financial deregulation occurred and the floating of the goude in 1985. The boom began in earnest in 1986, with the return of growth, and continued throughout the remainder of the 1980's. Even the "recession that never was" in 1989 failed to slow down growth by any significant amount. The boom came to an end in 1998 when a number of large construction projects were cancelled as various companies either went into liquidation or had to be bailed out. Over-extension of contracts and generous loans from banks underpinned a market that neither had the demand nor the sustainability for the amount of housing that was being built, and saw banks scrambling to cover their own liquidity as loan defaults saw the losses mount. By the end of 1999, the economy had contracted by -1.73%, the worst economic contraction since 1969 at the time.

Questions were asked about why such a thing could have occurred, and how could it be prevented again. Inquiries were had, and causes identified, but few things actually changed. The Democratic Action Party government of the time, under Arnold Hofmeyer, introduced a number of changes to how banks lended credit to customers and reintroduced deposit requirements, but these mostly impacted low-income Nuvanians, and had little impact on those that had made millions during the initial boom. The 1999 recession and the triple dip recessions that resulted (Nuvania's total GDP growth contracting in 2001 and 2003) resulted in a broad disengagement of capital from the property market that ended following the stock-market induced Great Recession in 2005, which not only spelled the end of the Hofmeyer government but the end of investor confidence in secured gains in the stock market.

Luxury developments like this began to price middle class and working class Nuvanians out of the property market.

As expected, the money came from the stock market and into the property market, and as average prices increased, so did the investment. But rather than increase the price of existing housing stock to trade between themselves, investors began to place significant amounts of money into newbuild housing. While this was assumed to have positive effects on moderating or even reducing the prices of housing, three factors came into play that drove up prices, rather than reduced them. The first being costs of developing the land for new residential developments, initially being cheap but ultimately increasing to the point where affordable housing in inner cities could not be built profitably. The second being the trending of the property market towards equity growth over a short period of time, which incentivised the development of more expensive, or more luxurious housing. The third is the lack of capital restrictions on foreign investment. Foreign investors were willing to sink millions into new housing on the basis that the market would ensure guaranteed, long term returns on their investments.

A boom in commodity prices and investors avoiding increases in wealth taxes meant that countries like Nuvania saw substantial foreign investment in the property market, from barely three percent in 2006, to 37% in 2016. The commodities boom aided in the economic recovery of Nuvania following the Great Recession, seeing strong growth between 2009 and 2011, when the peak of the boom occurred. Much of this was underpinned by a wave of corruption at the local level not seen in Nuvanian politics for decades, as local authorities authorised both developments and substantial purchases of these properties from foreign entities. The result was, according to antic-corruption campaigner Straan Swanepoel, an unwritten "gentlemen's agreement" in which local authorities oversaw vast amounts of money laundering from foreign entities. Of course, these authorities benefitted from the laundering themselves, either paid to keep quiet, or paid to keep allowing these practices to continue through outright bribery or, more commonly, through contributions to election campaigns. Swanpoel believes that the propensity to accept bribes or payments was "roughly equal between the major parties" who controlled key mayoralties in Nuvania.

Stefan Liebenburg is probably the most powerful man outside of Parliament, which is significant given the power the premiers of Nuvania's provinces wield over their domains. He has been mayor of Pietersburg since 2015, the result of a snap election following the resignation of John Macy, who came under fire from the public after personally intervening in the tender and consent processes of two dozen luxury condominium developments between his election in 2004 and his resignation in 2015. Liebenburg's office looks out over the back of the City Chambers building in central Pietersburg, an ornate building in the government district of the city. A member of the Democratic Action Party, Liebenburg's policies have made the city more green, more liveable, raised the incomes and living standards of its most vulnerable communities, and most importantly, begun to lower the average house prices which in Pietersburg alone have increased by 54%.
"We started seeing the negative effect of all these luxury developments on the city," he said. "Average house prices began to increase substantially and so did the prices of apartments, which accelerated by more than 71% in some areas of the city." In true DAP fashion, Liebenburg introduced a new social housing program as well as a series of restrictions on housing developments, including the limitation of the size of new apartments and houses, dropping from a peak of 278 square metres and 203 square metres, to 146 and 212 square metres respectively. This worked to slow down the rate of growth in which property prices climbed.

The amount of new luxury developments was also decreased in favour of more affordable options in order to stem a price rise which saw average aparment prices increase from G4,876.17 ($864.57, $1,145.73 per square metre in 2020 dollars) in 2005 to G36,738.12 ($2,490.72 per square metre) for new apartments and from G2,429.37 ($430.74, $570.82 per square metre in 2020 dollars) to G29,033.16 ($1,968.35 per square metre). In short, this meant that a one bedroom apartment in Pietersburg went from G391,096 ($26,515 in 2020 dollars) in 2005 to G1.34 million ($91,430) in 2020, and two bedroom apartments went from G7.15 million ($485,197 in 2020 dollars) to G24.67 million ($1.67 million).

Liebenburg's proposals generated stiff resistance from property investors and others who had significant financial interests in property and the construction market, and this support for the status quo was expressed through the campaign donations between the two candidates. Liebenburg faced off against the NVP's candidate, Solomon van der Schyff, a multi-millionaire businessman with significant connections to the construction and finance industries. Van der Schyff funneled G227.15 million ($15.4 million) into his election campaign, and received a total of G476.42 million ($32.3 million) in campaign donations from numerous property and construction companies as well as other entities that owned property in Pietersburg. Liebenburg, meanwhile, received G216.82 million ($14.7 million) in donations to his campaign. He won in a landslide, taking 48.9% of the vote.

How did all of this come to such an end? Liebenburg's policies had some impact on the reduction of prices, but the greatest influence on the crash of the property market was the economic conditions of Nuvania in the years leading up to 2020. Ironically, the market itself lead to the biggest decline between 2011 and 2012, in which an unexpected fall in the growth of the construction industry resulted in a heavily revised growth forecast, from 5.41% in 2011 to 2.74% in 2012. Construction and property failed to revive itself as the industry stagnated, and construction companies, having borrowed massive amounts of money between 2006 and 2011 to finance the dozens of projects completed since then, began to slowly suffer from the effects of over-leveraging and falling revenues as less and less projects were announced. Some attempted to stave off the inevitable by merging or buying out smaller companies, but often the revenues from their contracts were outweighed by the outstanding debts. After six years of anemic growth, regional and global instability in 2019 saw the beginning of a withdrawl of money from the property market. Prices nationwide declined by 5.4% in 2019, modest given the growth the market had experienced in the thirteen years prior. But for many of the construction companies, the cancelling of contracts turned a general decline in revenues into a liquidity crisis. The stage was set for an inevitable collapse that came with a sharp economic contraction following the eruption of Pico de Sangue in Maracao on September 12. The suspension of air travel for four weeks, the mass exodus of tourism, and Nuvania's largest economic shrink since the Great Collapse caused a chain reaction throughout the market, as revenue and contracts dried up, and money for the market virtually dried up overnight. VDC Incorporated was the first to go in October, followed by Allison Civil in November. Cantrell-Wright went in December, and Sankor in January.

The end result of these bankruptices is over 50,000 people out of work directly and an additional 90,000 or so contractors out of work as well. Much more impressive is the collective amount of debt all four companies amassed since 2006: G1.06 trillion ($72 billion), or roughly G265.5 billion ($18 billion) each. Tens of thousands of families now facing financial hardship, especially the minimum wage workers in the corporate offices, and the contractors now out of pocket and in many instances, out of tools and transport. Wilkes is fortunate, but there's hundreds of people who went through the same situation without the benefit of being retained by their employers and moved to different positions elsewhere in the company. Longer lines for food banks, lines for financial assistance from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Pensions, and likely, greater pressure on emergency accomodation.

Swanpoel believes that despite the millions, or potentially billions, in payments changing hands, he says it's unlikely that many investigations or prosecutions would result from the failures. He said that bankruptcy and insolvency protection does directly result in investigations of company's prior dealings under Nuvanian law, and any investigations would have to come from elsewhere, in spite of being liable for any criminal acts committed prior to their Section 32 application.
"You really have to really report people to the Financial Crimes Office to get anything going," he said. "However it is entirely possible that some good might come out of this, given that the court and the creditors have a legal obligation to report any discoveries of illegal conduct to the Financial Crimes Office." Swanpoel believes that any future investigations that resulted would likely be drawn out affairs given the significant personal finances of the corporate exectiuves involed and the structure of the companies. Furthermore, the way in which local government was influenced or directly bribed would also be more difficult to act on without information from the public.

Questions need to be asked again about how this was allowed to happen, and how the DAP could allow this to occur, given much of the growth happened during the Maritz government. The new Chief Minister is likely to launch a government commission into the failures of these companies, but he also runs the risk of discovering a can of worms that might endanger his party, and his ability to govern with credibility in the eyes of the public. Whatever happens, such events like this must not be allowed to repeat themselves again.

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by **Empire of Falconia** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:22 am

Ravnian National News
Abramov wins historic third term, protestors take to the streets.

Novigrad - In what many are calling a historic day, president Abramov has won a third term as president of the Ravnian Republic. However, the president did not win in the landslide his campaign was predicting. In fact, he did not win by the margin many political analysts were predicating, Pytor Abramov won the election with 53% of the vote. This is a staggering drop from his previous 64% victory in 2012.

The parliamentary race ended similarly to the Presidential race, with the National Conservative front only winning 172 seats, and the Ravnian Socialist front winning 148 seats. This has come a surprise, as many believed that the the NCF would win a strong majority in Parliament. Instead, they've just scrapped by with a 53% majority.

Though the biggest today has to be the massive response by RSF voters. The streets of almost every major Ravnian city have become clogged with protestors. Many of them are calling for a recount, and some have tried to break into ballot collection buildings to count the votes themselves. Here in Novigrad, the city has effectively been paralyzed, with police being unable to contain the crowds of protestors from spilling out all over the city. President Abramov has had to delay his inaugural speech today due to the protests, but has promised to give his speech once the situation is under control.

by **Nuvania** » Sun Feb 14, 2021 3:59 pm

Joint Resolution To Condemn Chistovodia Tabled At Community of Nations Assembly

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Niels de Vleeschauwer (Euclean Bureau) (@NdVleeschauwer)
14 February (12:00pm)|KESSELBOURG

The Avenue of Flags outside the Community of Nations in Kesselbourg.

A joint resolution to condemn Chistovodia has been tabeled at the Community of Nations' International Assembly in Kesselbourg City today in response to the rising militarisation of the West Arucian Sea by Chistovodia.

The resolution, jointly compiled by representatives from Aucuria, Nuvania, and Satucin, condemns the Chistovodia government over the increase of deployed naval vessels and additional aircraft to the island state of Maracao in the aftermath of the eruption of the Pico de Sangue volcano in September last year.

Nuvania's permanent representative at the Community of Nations, Marco Niemann, said that the claim of innocent passage used as justification for the deployment of vessels from the Chistovodian Navy was a violation of international law, specifically the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which governs international maritime law.
"We believe that the Chistovodian government's actions in regards to its deployment are in violation of current international maritime law," he said. "This resolution would seek to condemn the Chistovodian government and hopefully prompt further diplomatic action in response to these violations." Niemann said that the resolution was primarily based on the case made by the Sautcine representatives, which outlined the section of the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The violations concerned are regarding Section 2 of Article 19 of the Convention, which state that "passage of a foreign ship shall be considered to be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State if in the territorial sea it engages in any of the following activities", and goes onto state that these activities including threats or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political integrity of the coastal state or other such violation against the Charter of the Community of nations. In addition, other activities include the act of collecting information to prejudice the defence or security of the coastal State, any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defence or security of the coastal State, and any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.

As defined under the current iteration of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, innocent passage is any passage of any vessel through the territorial waters of a coastal state so long as that passage of that vessel is not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security, of the coastal state.

Satucin's government through its permanent representative at the Community of Nations, Emmanuel Létourneau, believes that the Chistovodian government committed a violation of innocent passage through the Arucian Straits, much of which are subject to Satucine control. In addition, they believe that the actions of basing their vessels off Dunhelm Island, which is located just over 22 kilometres away from the main island of Imagua in the Imagua and the Assimas, within the disputed territorial waters of Maracao and Imagua.

The Satucine case relies on the interpretation of Sections 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2l of Article 19 of the Convention of the Law of the Sea. The case made in the International Assembly was largely the same as that outlined by Satucine Foreign Minister Astor Sourd at a press conference in Gatôn on February 6.
"We believe that Chistovodia's actions in the deployment of those vessels off the coasts of both Maracao and Dunhelm actively contributed to a reduction of peace and stability in the West Arucian Sea," Létourneau said. "Not only were their actions used to directly violate Satucine arms embargoes against the regime in Porto Leste, they also intended to reinforce the occupation of Dunhelm Island, which has been illegally occupied by the Porto Leste regime since 1955, and thus are a violation of the territorial waters of Imagua and the Assimas. Furthermore, we have reason to believe that the Chistovodian government through their naval forces, intended to use the passage through Satucine territorial waters for propaganda purposes, as well as to engage in the illegal collection of information that could prejudice the defence of Satucin itself. The intention to violate those sanctions and aid in the occupation of Dunhelm while in Satucine territorial waters in the Arucian Straits, in addition to the other violations as outlined, constitute a violation of innocent passage as defined under Article 19 of the Convention of the Law of the Sea."

It is hoped that the resolution will spur the international community to respond to Chistovodian militarisation of the West Arucia Sea and to pressure the communist state into engaging in diplomatic initiatives with the wider Asterias. Niemann believes that this resolution will be "essential in bringing a peaceful diplomatic solution to the current diplomatic issues in the West Arucian."
"We're confident that such measures are effective and will be able to have an effect on Chistovodia's future actions without the need for unnecessary escalations," he said. "If the international community reacts appropriately, it will force Chistovodia to engage diplomatically rather than militarily."

Included within the resolution is a provision calling for a final settlement to the status of Dunhelm Island, which has been disputed between Imagua and the Assimas and Maracao since 1955, following the latter's invasion of the island. The status regarding the island has long been a sticking point in Asterian regional politics, and defined the ideological barriers between the communist and liberal sides within the Asterias. The provision compells both goverments to accept a Community of Nations mediated negotiation of the status of the island itself, as well as the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The aim would be to compell an end to the longstanding dispute and to potentially demilitarise that part of the Western Arucian.

Political analyst Samuel Hofmeyr said that the resolution's success would be dependent on not being vetoed as soon as the voting process began, given Kirenia's status as a permanent member of the Community of Nations Security Council.
"While it's inevitable Kirenia would issue it's veto against the resolution, it would need another nation to veto before the resolution is dead in the water," he said. "If we look at other permanent members, the only one that stands out for me is Soravia, although it is by no means socialist or communist leaning." He said that the remainder of the security council would likely support the resolution.

However, Hofmeyr said that the evidence against Chistovodia is what he considered to be "tenuous at best" and relied on what he called a "generous interpretation of international maritime law."
"You really have got to prove intent with these kinds of allegations being made," he said. "And given that a number of other experts in international relations and foreign affairs have expressed their doubts regarding the claims made by Gatôn, I don't believe that the claims being made have any weight to them." Hofmeyr said that he nonetheless agreed that the Chistovodian actions in the West Arucian Sea had been "an affront to the basic decency between countries" and said that any goodwill from the liberal Asterias had "been shoved back in its face". However, he said that while many governments were rightfully indignant about Chistovodia's actions, there wasn't anything they could do.
"You're basically telling a nuclear armed power with friends elsewhere in high places that you disapprove of their actions," he said. "At best, you're going to get a disinterested shrug or be labelled a vulture or whatever else the propaganda machine in Misto Myru think is a pejorative that week. You're going to achieve more by creating the conditions for which Maracao would be forced into working with the liberal order, not rail against it."

Voting on the resolution commences on February 15.

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by **Gapolania** » Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:21 am

Hit and sunk: Gapolanese destroyer spotted on its way to Chistovodia
The Gapolanese shipbuilding industry has made a questionable move, selling military vessels to the Chistovodian government
Seneca Idelin
^{15 FEBUARY 2021 14:56 | NASSEA, GAPOLANIA}

The destroyer was spotted nearly 280 kilometres north of Nassea by a fishing vessel.

As the joint resolution to condemn Chistovodian advances on the Arucian Sea tabled by Aucuria, Nuvania and Satucin awais voting, a worrying news come from Gapolania, a state that, though quietly, was thought to support most Asterian nations on their response to the situation. On Monday's morning, at 5:13 AM, a picture of a destroyer ship leaving the Gapolanese waters in direction of the eastern coast of Asteria Superior went viral - the ship was recognized by a specialist, Marco Erenda, as one of the main products of Nassea-based shipbuilding company, state-owned "OndaShip". What for and where to the ship was going wasn't entirely clear until later, when it turned out that the heavily-criticized contract between the Gapolanese and Chistovodian governments, signed in October 2011, was still active and relevant - despite it being the main reason of the so-called San Bernardo crisis, which led the left-wing government of Gapolania to its quick doom. Surprisingly, Cerbone's coalition is doing the same thing its predecessors did - but that hypocrisy is a serious breach in the country's foreign policy.

Just last weekend, Gapolania did express its concern and condemned the actions of Chistovodia. In the press conference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paolo Mengoni, stated the country's readiness to support the resolution put forward by other Asterian governments to the Community of Nations Assembly. But today, he remains silent, leaving no commentary on the situation. The Minister of Defense, Aurelio Savogno, was much more talkative. "The leftist propaganda will make everything to discredit our actions, I believe", he said during a short interview today. "The dispute over the Dunhelm Island is between Imagua and Maracao, not Chistovodia. Our job is to maintain friendly relations with all our neighbors and we're willing to look on the bigger picture. The ship was constructed for Chistovodia a few months ago but we needed to inspect it thoroughly first before shipping it to Mysto Myru. Shipbuilding is one of our primary industries and we will not hinder the development of it just because some politicians or journalists decided to make their own narrative of it. It has nothing to do with Dunhelm Island."

Several pro-government sites, such as AGSA, the Gapolanese National News Agency, found fault in the former government. "The Gapolanese-Chistovodian cooperation might seem worrying but it was the Socialist Party that prepared and signed the contract", we can read in one of the articles. "If it wasn't Cerbone's assertiveness, Chistovodia would have an armada of ships made in Nassea. The government couldn't withdraw from the decisions made by their predecessors but it did everything it could to keep the Arucian Sea safe. Chistovodian investments in Gapolania are crucial to our economy and the republic is a guarantor of stability in the region". But the people are divided - there are several other vessels under construction in the shipyard owned by OndaShip.

"It's disappointing, at least, to see what has happened and how has it happened", Emmanuel Lentù, a professor of history on the University of Nassea and an expert of Gapolanese-Chistovodian relations, commented. "We should acknowledge that the free market is, after all, free - and the state simply answered the demand. It's important to know that Gapolania constructs hundred of ships yearly, both by the national and private companies, for Jossia, Gaullica, Etruria... Chistovodia, too. It's not the first one and certainly not the last one vessel going that way. But it's a military ship, which, given the current situation in the region, should be perceived as a threat - Chistovodia is reading itself and we're more or less openly fuel it. It's a terrible decision that may cost as a huge loss of reputation at the very least. Let's not forget also that it was one of the main points of the Cerbone's coalition agenda when they were making their way out to a victory in 2013 - after many unauthorized transactions and questionable contracts were signed between the Socialist Party and different internal and global figures, Cerbone was the first one to lead the people in a fight against the Socialists. Now they're repeating exactly the same mistake."

The whole world is looking at the Arucian right now. And if there's going to be blood, the government of Gapolania will have it on their hands, too.

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Mon Feb 15, 2021 3:38 pm

Ó FAOLÁIN WARNS THAT HOLDING CHISTOVODIA ACCOUNTABLE THREATENS INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
Pushing forward with accountability for violations of maritime law is something Caldia's foreign minister takes issue with
15 February 2021 | Rónán Ó Ceanndubháin

Foreign Minister Séamus Ó Faoláin (l) pictured with Satucine Premier Martin Allaire (r) in Gatôn last year.

STARK warnings have come from the Caldish Foreign Ministry as of late, warning international governments that moves to hold Chistovodia accountable for illegal violations of international law threatens the international system. Séamus Ó Faoláin, who has served as Caldia's Foreign Minister since February 2019, has urged democratic governments to avoid punishing Misto Myru for inciting a crisis in the West Arucian Sea. Caldia's top diplomat argues at a recent press conference that holding Chistovodia accountable while having previously exonerated Estmere for similar actions would " threaten to destroy the international system as we know it".

Ó Faoláin has repeatedly pointed to Morwall when discussing the ongoing West Arucian Sea crisis, citing a 2019 naval incident involving Estmerish frigates. In July 2019, several Estmerish frigates violated Zorasan's territorial waters after passing through the Aurean Staits, the busiest waterway in the world. At the time this invoked international outrage and ended up with a series of competing resolutions before the Community of Nations, which voted down Zorasani attempt to condemn Estmere for the violation.

Diplomats in Spálgleann raised the alarm over the precedent that was being set at the time. Special consideration was being paid to another dispute between Misto Myru and Gatôn over a seized Satucine freighter. In July 2019, the Caldish Foreign Ministry was warning that exonerating Morwall would give other nations a blank check to undermine international law. Fast-forward nearly a year and a half later, and a similar situation is playing out once again.

Spálgleann now argues that any accountability for Chistovodia at the Community of Nations would have grave consequences. The international system itself is at risk, or so Ó Faoláin claims.

"Democratic governments must be aware of the damage that institutionalized hypocrisy inflicts on the international system. If we punish one and exonerate the other, we threaten to destroy the international system as we know it. International law must be upheld, there is no doubt about it, and we must fight to maintain it. However, we cannot do so with hypocrisy. The Estmerish government must know that its behavior has created this situation" Ó Faoláin said earlier today.

He has lashed out again at Morwall, having previously repeated his criticism from 2019 just last week. Caldish diplomats are ramping up their efforts in light of a joint resolution tabled by Aucuria, Nuvania, and Satucin at the Community of Nations. The motion would condemn Chistovodia for violating the right of innocent passage in the aftermath of the Pico de Sangue eruption in September. The three governments cite an increase of deployed naval vessels and additional aircraft to Maracao, a small island country allied with Chistovodia and other socialist governments.

The resolution tabled by the Asterian governments is compelling. It outlines the specific ways in which Chistovodia has violated the Convention on the Law of the Sea. Despite this mounting evidence and Spálgleann's friendly ties with these three nations, Caldia's top diplomat wants to kill the resolution. Ó Faoláin does so with the full support of Taoiseach Stiofán Mac Suibhne, whose office has repeatedly expressed its confidence in the Foreign Minister.

Ó Faoláin also raised other concerns, stating that it was problematic for some power to dictate just how and when international passages can be used. When referencing the resolution, he also argued that the three governments presented "rather weak evidence" and that it could "prove foolish to pursue an international condemnation with evidence that might not hold up".

Caldia's decision to deviate from not just its allies in the Euclean Community, but from international democracies leaves Mac Suibhne isolated. In close coordinate with Ó Faoláin, Mac Suibhne has worked to end Caldia's alignment with Euclean capitals and restore its traditional diplomatic position as a neutral, fence-sitter that is both friendly to the Global South and an advocate for democracy and human rights. However, in doing so Mac Suibhne has shown that he is willing to work with and legitimize authoritarian governments. One such example were his government's efforts to mediate sectarian conflict in Tsabara before it spiraled into civil war. His failure to do so shows how volitile and untrustworthy a totalitarian government such as the one in Zahedan is.

By consorting with these tyrants, Mac Suibhne also actively undermines movements for democratization in these countries and legitimizes those who shred protections for human rights. Once again, the Caldish government looks to legitimize the actions of rogue governments. Lending Caldia's immense diplomatic credibility to Misto Myru will result in disaster. Ó Faoláin might want to uphold the international system, but in doing so he enables governments that are usurping international law.

Written by Rónán Ó Ceanndubháin, a staff-writer for An Radacach

by **Union of Akoren** » Mon Feb 15, 2021 4:57 pm

State President Vahid Isfandair: "The world order is fraying before our very eyes"
State President condemns the North for "laying waste to maritime law" and denounces attempts at "causing division" within the Union

15 February 2021 | Izidar Al-Mina | Daryush Deghan; Political Correspondent

In a wide-ranging speech to the National School for Administration and Economics, State President Vahid Isfandiar told students and staff, “the world order is fraying before our very eyes and the mask of the North is slipping quickly. From the Arucian to the Solarian, maritime law is being torched and in Tsabara, suffering and death is being prolonged for nefarious aims.”

The State President addressed a packed auditorium of the Union’s top university for aspiring civil servants and was warmly greeted by staff and students alike. The State President himself, studied here in the 1980s for his PhD, before securing a prosperous career in the Union-Government before entering politics himself in the 1990s. The Union’s head-of-state had hinted that his speech would be aimed at “promoting in students, the clear worldview needed to serve the Union in their inevitably successful careers.”

The State President during his visit to the university in Bandar-e Sattari led a lecture for final year PhD students telling them, “be positive, be confident and trust in your skills, knowledge and God, for you all will do well. Take to your thesis calmly, do not rush and most importantly, do not stress. The pressure of deadlines and the pressure to achieve that result may be much, but remember, burning yourself out before the final hurdle won’t be good for you or your families. The Union-Government awaits you and wants you to arrive the strong, confident and calm people that you are.”

State President Vahid Isfandiar addressing students of the National School
for Administration and Economics.

The head of state took questions from the students on his own university experience and his rise through the Union-Government civil service before entering politics. The State President told students, “in the Union-Government you have a career path this is blind. It is blind to your origins, your people, your roots. In my time working for the government, I met people from all four corners of the Union, some who came from poor rural homes, others who came from more affluent regions, but in all cases, the Union-Government treated them equally. In the Union, any all can succeed, because the Union delivers for its citizens.”

The world is fraying before our very eyes

After his lecture, the State President then attended a full-school wide event in the main auditorium where he delivered his wide-ranging speech.

State President Isfandiar warned the students that the future was unclear, “since becoming State President almost six years ago, I have watched in close detail the direction the world has taken, as our Union Fathers warned all those years ago, the time will come when Coius, rising from its slumber would head toward overtaking the fading powers of the North, the North would move to counter such a development. Today, we see Euclea specifically moving against the rising powers of Coius including the Union, with great speed and tenacity. They say they do so in the name of liberty, justice and democracy, but they undermine these in Coius, for it is power and influence they wish to protect, not their lofty ideals.”

“Across the world we see the North rally in condemnation and opposition to the powers of tomorrow. They do so against the Union here, now to they do so against Chistovodia in the Asterias. The world order is fraying before our very eyes and the mask of the North is slipping quickly. From the Arucian to the Solarian, maritime law is being torched and in Tsabara, suffering and death is being prolonged for nefarious aims” he said further.

He went on to say, “as you enter the Union-Government as civil servants it is vital you come to see this fraying, for it is the reason the North now seeks to divide and conquer the Union once more. They, in their misjudgement believe they can divide the nation, between government and the military, society and the government, military and society. They are mistaken. The very spiritual basis of the Union is that it is a union between the soldier, the worker and the cleric. It is a union between the house, the Mazar and the barracks. It is an indivisible Union and one who’s strength is made manifest everyday in the peace, harmony and prosperity our great nation enjoys.”

The State President’s comments echo those of other senior government figures. Last week First Minister Farzad Akbari repeated his claims that the world was entering a “cold war situation” with the North and its allies in Asterias rushing to oppose and undermine other countries for “nebulous ideological reasons.” He also warned parliament the need for a “revaluation of the Union’s approach to the Tsabaran question, owing to their resistance and the lack of effort by Euclean patrons of the Tsabaran government, in working with Zorasan to secure a ceasefire.” Chairman of the Central Command Council, Major General Ashavazadar Golzadari himself warned, “we need to stop pushing for a ceasefire unilaterally, there is no point to continuing down this path. It is apparent that the North wants to prolong this war and the government in Adunis is eager to do as it is told. We need to address this as the serious security threat that it is.”

The Foreign Ministry has purportedly issued a message of “friendly comradeship” to Chistovodia, in which it stated, “the Union stands with Chistovodia over the Maracao Maritime Issue, it is only right that Chistovodia does what it must to ensure the stability and security of Maracao in wake of its devastating trial. It must not allow the North and its allies dictate who may utilise the seas and who may not, for the Union has suffered the North’s use of the waves.”

by **Aucuria** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 12:03 am

Atvira visiems, šališkas nė

Metjauskienė warns against "permitting lawlessness"
CN delegate criticizes Caldish FM, says focus must be on "fair enforcement, not a refusal to enforce"

Eufemija Metjauskienė warned that a "precedent of permitting lawlessness" would enable authoritarian regimes.

KALNASPILIS, AUCURIA | February 16, 2021 - Eufemija Metjauskienė, Aucuria's delegate to the Community of Nations, criticized remarks made by Caldish Foreign Minister Séamus Ó Faoláin yesterday, saying that they "risk setting a precedent of permitting lawlessness by aggressive and illiberal actors".

Ó Faoláin's remarks criticized the joint Aucurian-Nuvanian-Satucine motion at the Community of Nations to hold Chistovodia accountable for alleged violations of international maritime law, more specifically the right of innocent passage, following the 2020 Pico de Sangue eruption, arguing that the CN's 2019 refusal to punish Estmere for an alleged incursion into Zorasani waters juxtaposed with a successful condemnation of Chistovodian violations would threaten the international system.

"Democratic governments must be aware of the damage that institutionalized hypocrisy inflicts on the international system. If we punish one and exonerate the other, we threaten to destroy the international system as we know it," he told reporters. Ó Faoláin also described the evidence presented by the Aucurian, Nuvanian, and Satucine governments as "rather weak" and accused the governments of acting foolishly by "pursu[ing] an international condemnation... that might not hold up".

Chistovodia is accused of violating sections 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2l of Article 19 of the Convention of the Law of the Sea by sending military vessels and aircraft to its ally Maracao, a move which has greatly increased tensions in both Asteria Inferior and Asteria Superior. The dispute pertains specifically to the passage of Chistovodian ships through Satucine waters in the Arucian Straits and the stationing of Chistovodian military materiel on Dunhelm Island, internationally recognized as Imaguan territory but occupied by Maracao for several decades.

Speaking to a press junket earlier today, Eufemija Metjauskienė - who has been Aucuria's CN delegate since 2019 and the CNSC delegate for Asteria Inferior since 2020 - criticized Ó Faoláin's statements, arguing they "risk[ed]... permitting lawlessness".

"Certainly it is fair to argue that international law is not enforced evenly, that great inequalities continue to exist between nations and continents in this regard, and that these inequalities are a serious issue we must confront. Certainly there is a discussion to be had about how Estmere was protected from the potential consequences of its actions. But the solution to uneven enforcement of the law is fair enforcement, not a refusal to enforce altogether," Metjauskienė stated. "To refuse to uphold international law in the fashion proposed by the Caldish foreign minister represents an abdication of moral and political responsibility."

"A precedent of permitting lawlessness would enable aggressive regimes and could itself prove a death knell for the international system. It is simply too risky an option to be seriously considered by reasonable people," she continued. "The proper solution is to uphold international law in the present and guarantee that all countries of the world are held accountable before the law in the future."

Metjauskienė expressed confidence in the Aucurian-Nuvanian-Satucine case against Chistovodia. "Evidence continues to mount of Chistovodia's abuse of the right of innocent passage, and of its willingness to destabilize and militarize the Arucian Sea," she declared. "So long as the honorable delegates of the Community of Nations commit themselves to the honest analysis of the facts, rather than playing politics, and to the maintenance of international law, rather than its abdication, I am confident there is no serious response to the argument we have put forth."

She also expressed thanks towards Nuvanian CN delegate Marco Niemann and Satucine CN delegate Emmanuel Létourneau. "Hopefully we will be able to continue to build multilateral diplomatic ties, between our three countries and between the countries of the Asterias generally, in the months and years to come."

While neither Foreign Minister Bendiktas Artemaitis nor Chancellor Petras Uspelevičius have formally commented on Metjauskienė's remarks, a short statement by the office of the foreign minister stated that "Mrs. Metjauskienė has represented Aucuria at the Community of Nations exceptionally during her tenure, and retains the confidence of both the Foreign Ministry and the Chancellery", strongly suggesting that her words have the government's formal backing. The office of President Žygimantas Barauskas refused to comment.

What this might bode for relations between Caldia and Aucuria - two states that both profess a strong belief in the international system and international law - is yet to be seen; as of press time, the Caldish government has issued no formal response.

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